Orlando Recommendations??

[Blue Jay]

After vacationing in our comfort zone (Branson) for the past 8 years - it is finally time for us to spread our wings!!! We fly out in 3 weeks for 11 days in Orlando. We plan to hit the Disney parks, Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach, Gatorland, Airboat ride and Daytona Beach. We are staying at Windsor Hills in a 3 bedroom condo. My question - does anyone have suggestions for places good/fun to eat? Is there anything else that we "can't miss"? We are getting sooooooo excited!

[ThunderHockeyFan]

We stay onsite and don't venture away from Disney so I can't help much for places outside that area. Check out www.disboards.com you should be able to find lots of info. I am Mrs. Grumpy over there.

[Blue Jay]

I am hooked on the Disboard - I think it was actually from one of your posts that I found that website - it is AWESOME!

[Locknload]

Go to tourguidemike.com for info on disney. They charge around $20 for the subscripiton, but they have info I have not seen in other disney guides that you buy. Want to know a secret about fastpasses, they have it. How about a different entrance to one of the parks to avoid lines at the turnstyles, they have that too.

You enter info on the ages of those going and what you want to see and it will come up with suggestions on what to do when to avoid lines. We have used it twice, and never stood in lines longer than 15 minutes, and we would ride our favorites in each park 3-4 times.

[Suselit]

http://instoresnow.walmart.com/In-St...ktid43762.aspx

Discount tickets for major Florida theme parks and attractions are available at select Florida Wal-Mart stores.

Save now on the following attractions:

Theme Parks:
Walt Disney World
Universal Orlando
Sea World
Busch Gardens

Local Attractions:
Kennedy Space Center
Wet-n-Wild
Gatorland

Dinner Shows:
Arabian Nights
Sleuths Mystery
Pirates Dinner

Phone orders are not accepted.
Tickets must be purchased in person at the store.
Please contact the following locations for inquiries on current prices.

Ticket Center Locations:
Wal-Mart Supercenter 0817
4444 West Vine Street
Kissimmee, FL 34741
Phone: (407) 397-7000
Fax: (407) 397-7407

Wal-Mart Supercenter 0908
8101 South John Young Parkway
Orlando, FL 32819
Phone: (407) 354-5665
Fax: (407) 354-3790

Wal-Mart Supercenter 3782
5991 Goldenrod Road
Orlando, FL 32822
Phone: (407) 382-8880
Fax: (407) 382-8935

Wal-Mart Supercenter 4332
8990 Turkey Lake Road
Orlando, FL 32819
Phone: (407) 351-2229
Fax: (407) 351-2270

Wal-Mart Supercenter 5299
550 US Hwy 27
Clermont, FL 34711
Phone: (352) 536-2746
Fax: (352) 536-2761

Wal-Mart Supercenter 5420
3250 Vineland Road
Kissimmee, FL 32746
Phone: (407) 397-1125
Fax: (407) 397-1145

[TravelAgtSteve]

Windsor Hills is about 5 minutes from the Disney entrance, if I'm thinking of the right property. You'll be near Downtown Disney, essentially an area of shops, restaurants, clubs, etc. on Disney property but accessible to the public without having to purchase park tickets. The prices are Disney prices, however, and might spook you a bit.

Kissimmee has a Medieval Times Dinner Show that is pretty popular with families - don't know if you'd like it, but their site is at www.medievaltimes.com. Think of it like Branson's Dixie Stampede, with a different flavor.

Other options given here in this thread are pretty good, too.

[Blue Jay]

I am glad to hear we are staying in a good location. As far as Disney tickets go, a good friend of ours works at Disney and has passes for us. That is going to save us a ton. It might just be enough for a tank of gas.

[TravelAgtSteve]

Don't forget that if you take a personal vehicle to Disney, you'll have to pay for parking there. Don't forget to budget for that - I believe it's $11 per day. However, I think Windsor Hills provides shuttle service to the parks, but I don't know if that's complimentary or fee-based. You'll be close to the Animal Kingdom area of the park, on the opposite side of the Interstate from the park, so yeah, you're in a good location.

The absolute best resource I have found for Disney information has been www.allears.net. It's extremely comprehensive, and kept up to date unlike guide books which can be outdated the moment they're printed.

A tip for you - if you have small children in tow, don't try to spend the entire day at Disney. It's so big, and the crowds are pretty big, that you really should break it up. If you're planning one day at Disney, I'd recommend going in first thing in the morning when they open. Around lunchtime, leave (you should be able to return later with your pass) and go back to the condo for some relaxation, swimming in the pool, nap, whatever. (Especially nice if the condo is air conditioned as it gets HOT in the afternoon)

Then, later in the afternoon, go back to the parks, and take advantage of the evening spectacles they have available.

Also, consider the Extra Magic Hours at the park when planning what day to go. Allears.net has info on that.

I'm going to stop now because I'm probably throwing too much info at you! (Hey, I'm a Disney Specialist - it's hard for me NOT to!)

[Blue Jay]

I'm soaking it all in - I have been scouring the internet for info for the past 6 months. I think my family is already tired of Disney and we haven't even left yet.
Do you know how employee passes work? I know he has to walk us in, but will we be able to get fast passes with those "tickets"? Also, if we want to leave and return later, will he have to be with us again? We do have 2 sons - ages 3 and 8, so our schedule is at their mercy and I hate to burden our friend with it.
Something else we found to do was a "chocolate night" in Lakeland. There is a chocolate store there and on Monday nights, for $25 you get a pound of chocolate and get to make candies (additional chocolate is available for somewhere around $7.00 a lb.). (I have a website for it if someone is ever interested.) I am addicted to chocolate and my boys love it too. Before we do that, we are eating at Manny's ChopHouse. Another place I want to check out is Texas DeBrazil - it looks awesome too!

[fordarama]

We got in for free years ago,
we went in the employee entrance,
Saved a lot of time,
Not sure if that has changed or not...
That was years ago

[MNtraveler]

We always stay at Disney hotels so I can't help you much with any places to eat outside of WDW.

Our favorites in WDW are:

'Ohana in the Polynesian Resort
This is an all-you-care-to-eat dinner served family style. The offerings are pork loin, peel and eat shrimp, sirloin steak and grilled turkey. There is also an assortment of appetizers, salads, and side dishes served with the meal. It is a great location -- you have a great view across the Seven Seas Lagoon to the Magic Kingdom. They also have games/entertainment for kids... it is a very Disney experience.

The Hollywood Brown Derby at the Disney Hollywood Studios Park
This is probably our favorite restaurant in all of WDW. The food is great, the service is attentive without being obtrusive and the setting is elegant. We usually try to book a late lunch (they serve lunch until 3:00 PM or so) because the menu is much the same but the prices are quite a bit better.

Nine Dragons at Epcot Park
This is a beautiful Chinese restaurant. The food is very good, but the prices sometimes shock people who are used to getting inexpensive Chinese food at home. Again, we usually try to book a late lunch to save some $$.

Spoodles at the Boardwalk Resort
This is a great restaurant with a Mediterranean menu (Italian, Greek, Spanish, etc.). It is a casual restaurant and a great place for families. The food is prepared very well and is somewhat less expensive than the other restaurants I've mentioned.

The prices for an entrée are:

'Ohana $27 dinner (complete meal, not open for lunch)
Brown Derby lunch $14-$24
Brown Derby dinner $18-$32
Nine Dragons lunch $13-$19
Nine Dragons dinner $13-$27
Spoodles dinner (not open for lunch) $15-$23

'Ohana includes appetizers and deserts. At the other restaurant appetizers and deserts would be in addition to the prices I've listed.

Have fun!!

[Blue Jay]

Those all sound amazing! THANKS!

[Bubble]

I have a friend in Orlando that recommends the Boston Lobster Feast to everyone he talks to. I think they have more than one location. From what he's told me, it's a gigantic buffet with lobster, prime rib, etc. and all of it's good.

I, personally, have to suggest The Earl of Sandwich. When we were there last year, we ate there and I had the best BLT I've ever had. In fact, on their menu it's called the Best BLT (and it really is!) and I think all of their prices were pretty reasonable. We ate at the one at Downtown Disney, but I think they have other locations.

[kbradleyar]

I eat at the "All You Could Eat Lobster" buffet. There are big signs around town telling about it. I love crablegs and lobster and I got my money's worth. Girlfriend didn't but she fould a lot of nice things to eat. The kids had a few items.

I like the Midevil Times (as mentioned before). It is sword fights, jousting matches, horse races, etc. I lot of fun.

There is also a Pirate Theme dinner show that is a lot of fun. The kids REALLY enjoyed the pirates more than the "knights in armor".

[Lydia1959]

If you still have time to purchase a copy of "The Unoffical Guide to Disneyworld", I highly recommend you do so. Worth it's weight in gold! It'll be hot and with kids along you will appreciate the park shortcuts and hints. The book gives you info on each ride, show (so you can avoid the ones that won't work out for your family). It also rates the restaurants in the park. I wouldn't go back to Disney without a copy.. it is so super helpful!

You can save on parking by riding a shuttle into the park. We had a shuttle that picked up and dropped off at the hotel we stayed at. I don't really recommend doing this though because the ride was sometimes very long as the shuttle dropped off a bizillion people at various stops before it was our turn. Also.. they don't wait for you if you are late.. so we had to make a mad dash to catch it after the fireworks display.

Hope you have a fun trip!